Friday, October 10, 2008

MANANNAN'S CLOAK

Manannan is the mythical god of the sea, lord and protector of our land, Isle of Man. Manannan appears in many other Pagan and Celtic myths and legends but for us he is the guy who put the "Man" in the Isle of Man, and why you sometimes see the spelling of Mann aswell. What is Manannan's cloak though?

Manannan's cloakis a mythical shroud of mist that Manannan would throw over the island to shroud us from our enemies in times of trouble. The cloak would roll in from the sea over the land, covering all from prying eyes, keeping us safe from unwanted visitors. The cloak takes the form of a tinged grey and purple fog slowly enveloping the land, until Manannan is safe to lift the shroud when the unwanted visitors have passed by. Mannanan was also known to be a shapeshifter, so next time to you ask a local the way, be polite. It could just be Manannan and if decides you aren't a worthy visitor he will shroud and protect us from you.

We still get the mist descend upon us. The image shows a rolling mist on the mountains, sometimes it rolls in from the sea. It is an awesome sight, especially when caught my sunlight. Sometimes a white blanket, a gold sheet, or a lilac candyfloss gently engulfing the island.

The island has had crisis talks today due to the financial situation. Remember we are not part of the UK, but geographically part of the "British Islands." We have our own government, and we are an off shore banking solution. Due to the collapse of Iceland finacially, many Manx residents are worried about their finances, business, jobs and the survival of the island as a major player in the financial world. As you know Gary works for the BBC,(BARKER GALLERY BBC POLITICSSHOW) and his weekly political cartoon which is usually submitted by tonight is still ongoing due to the ever changing situtation. No wonder Manannan thought so wisely to shroud us in his protective cloak this week, we need it. Just to be even more confusing MANNANAN'S CLOAK spelt differently yes is the website from yesterday's post.

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Fantastic photo full of light playing with colour and all the better to read the story behind the photo. Really appreciate the effort that some folks put into what they share with us all in Sky Watch Friday.

Thank you for your nice story about Mannanan and his cloak. Mrs. Jim and I were introduced to the cloak at Snaeffell Mountain top. Mannanan was working overtime that day.They did have a drawing of him up there, he looked powerful...

You are a wonderful researcher and teacher. Thanks for all the information on the myth...love that stuff! The shroud of fog reminds me of the fog that creates a "tablecloth" on Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Mysterious and beautiful.

Once again very interesting post. I'm always learning something stopping by here.We also ask for Mannanan's cloak to protect us.I'm very surprised to read that Manx residents are 'linked' to Iceland financial collapse.

so cool you thought to capture this for your post in relation to what is going on in the world. It's nice to know there are greater forces at work that protect us when we need it!great post & photo babooshka.

I have always been drawn to this Pagan tale you told well. I know the island is awash with these myths. I would like to hear more. Most mindblowing photographs of the island I have ever seen. The Manx language interests me too. May we see more?

BABOOSHKA!!!! Your photo made me cast a very long sigh! I loooove it! Everytime you post a photo, a very informative narrative comes with it and I truly love it! I sometimes tell your stories to my classmates and we find it really amusing especially those about the vikings!

What a thrilling photo. The subject, the light, the story, everything. And I have a suggestion as well. In my Firefox browser on the Mac, the blue type on the black background is almost completely unreadable. You might want to lighten the blue a bit so people know what you want them to click.

Thanks for a great photo, and good luck to us all in the current financial crisis.

Reading the first two paragraphs and looking at the photo give me the goose bumps. The story behind this photo is so beautiful. As well as the breathtaking and mystical picture itself. Thank you for sharing, have a nice day and happy skywatching:-)